Welcome to a special edition of Parlay Points!

Since their debut with the world’s worst magician, the team at Rabbit in A Hat have been setting a high benchmark on kickstarter. Their latest campaign smashed goals in mere hours of launch. Heading into its’ final hours, there’s only one thing on fans minds….

It’s Hazel vs EVERYBODY!

In the conclusion of a horror story for the ages, all bets are off. This is the kind of tale you would expect from the masterminds behind “Pocus Hocus” and “HORUS IN HELL”!

GRANDMA CHAINSAW #4 by Allen Dunford, Will Radford, Brian Balondo, Cari Salviejo, & Dave Lentz (and in memory of Jasen Smith) looks to send Hazel and company off in style!

Tome to EAT! SLAY! LOVE! and jump into the finale!

***GRANDMA CHAINSAW #4*** by ***Allen Dunford***, ***Will Radford***, ***Brian Balondo**, Cari Salviejo, &*** ***Dave Lentz*** (and in memory of ***Jasen Smith***) *COVER D Art by Sajad Shah (Rabbit In A Hat/Bad Bug Media)*

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Dunford and Radford give readers a quick history lesson through the chaotic surroundings. Hazel is a complex character to say the least. The set-up for the final confrontation with Haiden and company is solidly built. The narration walks readers into a sudden shift in gears. This leads to a unique final act.

Tying in multiple lore’s, the writing keeps readers on their toes. However, they won’t be disappointed with the infusions of style. This book still packs the one-liners and insanity that has become a staple of this series. One member of the Dead Squad steals the show on each panel. From the conclusion of the conflict, the epilogue is vintage horror fueled. It is a fitting farewell to a horror story that fits in any time period.

Balondo crafts images that will be lingering with readers long after this series has ended. The full page introduction of Hazel lights the fuse for the explosive action later on. The two page history lesson breaks up the story in a perfect spot. It breaks just long enough to shift speed into a wild showdown.

The imagery here doesn’t shy away from the gore. It embraces it. One character gets a legendary send-off as the conclusion races towards the finish. The closing pages capture the emotional outpouring of what has just transpired. It is only outshined by the closing panel. With a simple recap, the story ends with much of what has made this series a hit: wondering what happens next.

FINAL POINT: 9.2

Since her debut, Hazel has haunted and thrilled readers with her wicked ways. Dunford and Radford sent her off with sharp humor and dramatic writing. The art is gory, blunt and unapologetic. It’s everything you want in a horror story. It’s also a story you can’t afford to miss adding to your collection.

Hit me up on ODPHpod social media and let me know your thoughts on GRANDMA CHAINSAW #4. Thanks for reading!

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH podcast! On this edition, one of my favorite indie books has returned!!!! Pocus Hocus #3 by Allen Dunford, Will Radford, Brian Balando, Jasen Smith, & Dave Lentz for Bad Bug Media continues the wild and outrageous adventures of everyone’s favorite soul selling magician Pocus Hocus! The previous issues have been quality reads mixing in humor and horror. Issue #3 just wrapped up on Kickstater & the book is about ready to hit readers’s hands. Let’s not waste any more time and jump into the latest issue, shall we?

Pocus Hocus #3
Creative: Allen Dunford, Will Radford, Brian Balando, Jasen Smith, & Dave Lentz
Photo Credit: Bad Bug Media

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Pocus and Emily, his magic assistant are dealing with the mess Pocus made. The mess you ask? Well, when Pocus sold his soul for becoming the world’s greatest magician, he didn’t realize he was forever tied to the demon. Now that his benefactor is caught up in some trouble, Pocus decided to remedy this situation by….making it worse as only he can! The only voice of reason is Emily who insists they have to try making things right. And how do they do this? By going to Hell looking for the demon himself!

While there, Pocus and Emily attract a LOT of unwanted attention. None of which is trying to make a warm welcome for the pair. The first “friend” they meet sets the tempo for the rest of the issue. From there, the pair goes into another wild adventure that, without spoiling too much, will leave readers very amped up for the next issue. If you’ve been with this book since day 1, you’ll really enjoy this issue. If you’re just joining now, prepare to go back and track down the previous 2 issues. It’s THAT fun of a read!

What other book can have a character yell “SWEET BABY SATAN” & you immediately start laughing at the panel? Dunford & Radford create a very unique version of Hell within these pages. There’s a bit more humor in that setting than yo normally see, but that’s where the writers really shine with this issue. The well timed humor serves as a great counter balance to what’s happening. When meeting some of Hell’s residents, readers get some very funny moments mixed into the horrible setting. It’s really gives this book something that jumps out from a lot of books.

Balando delivers on another solid outing here. One big change from past issues with the art is the use of Color for the majority of the story. It gives a great visual for the change of setting for the readers. Another great touch was with Emily’s aura. Being in her own energy while in Hell gave some leverage to that moment in the story. It’s a small touch but does convey a bigger message to the overall picture. The rest of Hell’s residents all have a special look to them and this isn’t easy to pull off. The art team here made that look very easy.

Overall, Pocus Hocus gives readers it’s best issue yet. The writing is sharp & funny while given a great counter balance with the art. Making a stop thru Hell never looked more interesting. If you’re still not sold (for some reason) on this book, chec out the ODPHpod episode where Allen dropped in to talk about this issue. Make sure you check out their Kickstarter along with checking Bad Bug media to get your hands on copies of this book! Don’t miss out!

Let me know on Twitter what you thought of Pocus Hocus #3! As always, thanks for reading!

GRANDMA CHAINSAW #4 (RABBIT IN A HAT)

POCUS HOCUS #3 (BAD BUG MEDIA)